updated
The Wall Street Journal - US Abstracts; May 29, 2001
Attempts to bring Azerbaijan and Armenia to the peace table June 15 in Geneva, in a bid to end their protracted 13-year war, have failed as the two sides warring sides have stuck to their guns. French, U.S. and Russian peace brokers are nevertheless still hopeful that Azerbaijan president Heydar Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian will forge an agreement to resolve the war, which is holding back further development in the oil and natural gas industry, in which the U.S. is involved. Both sides will attend an informal meeting scheduled for Minsk this week, which will also bring in Russia's president Vladimir Putin, in another attempt to thrash out some agreement.
Abstracted from: The Wall St Journal
Copyright � Financial Times Information
Azeri leader thinks Armenian leader wanted summit postponed
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 31, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Baku, 31 May: Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev has denied reports that he initiated the postponement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani summit.
"Probably such a request came from Armenian President Robert Kocharyan," he assumed speaking to the press before his departure to Minsk for the CIS summit.
According to co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk group, the Aliyev-Kocharyan meeting was postponed at the request of the two presidents.
Aliyev also refused to comment on press reports that the meeting was postponed because the main co-chairmen of the Minsk group failed to agree.
He said Baku favours the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. For the talks to be fruitful, Armenia should ease its stance, in particular drop intentions to separate Nagornyy Karabakh from Azerbaijan, he said.
Aliyev said that if Armenia wishes Azerbaijan to hold talks with Nagornyy Karabakh, it should dissociate itself from the conflict and not support Nagornyy Karabakh. However, in reality "Armenia supports Nagornyy Karabakh and its armed forces in the past occupied Azerbaijani territories," he said.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1014 gmt 31 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri Defence Ministry reports Karabakh truce violation, no-one hurt
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 31 May
The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry press service has reported that units of
the Armenian armed forces opened sub-machine-gun and machine-gun fire from
their positions one kilometre northeast of the village of Seyidli in the
occupied section of Agdam district on Azerbaijani positions in the village
of Mahrizli in the same district from 0115 to 0127 [2015 to 2027 gmt] on
31 May.
The enemy was neutralized by retaliatory fire. The defence ministry press
service said that there were no casualties.
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1000 gmt 31 May 01
NEW SETBACK FOR KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
30 May 2001, Volume 4, Number 20
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Dziunik Aghadjanian announced in
Yerevan on 26 May that themeeting between Armenian President Robert Kocharian
and his Azerbaijani counterpart Heidar Aliev that was scheduled to take place in
Geneva nextmonth has been postponed sine die. That statement merely served to
confirm widespread suspicions that unforeseen problems in the Karabakh peace
process had emerged during the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen
to Armenia and Azerbaijan in mid-May. Echoing earlier statements by
officials involved in the peace process, Aghadjanian implied that the
primary reason for the postponement was that public opinion in neither
country is ready to accept the compromise that a peace agreement would
entail. But while such opposition to major concessions undoubtedly exists,
it may not be the sole explanation for the apparent suspension of the
two-year dialogue between the two presidents.
Speaking in London on 4 May, and in Baku one day later, U.S. Minsk Group
co-chairman Carey Cavanaugh was optimistic that in Geneva Kocharian and
Aliev would build on the progress they made one month earlier in Florida
towards resolving the Karabakh conflict, even if a final peace accord was
not ready for signing in Geneva. Cavanaugh also said in London that "there
are a lot of signs" that both presidents are trying to convince public
opinion of the inevitability of mutual compromises that such an accord
would entail.
But just two weeks later, during a tour of Azerbaijan and Armenia, both
Cavanaugh and Russian co-chair Nikolai Gribkov were more cautious and less
optimistic. Gribkov warned in Baku on 18 May that "what we are saying
could give the impression that a peace agreement is within grasp, but it
is still a long way off." Two days later, he said that the planned Geneva
meeting could be postponed from June until August or even later, as the
co-chairs need more time to work on the new peace proposal to be presented
to the presidents in Geneva. Cavanaugh, for his part, said on 20 May that
a peace agreement may be further away now than it appeared immediately
after the Geneva talks, because the two presidents have in the meantime
considered in greater detail the details and implications of the broad
principles agreed on in Key West.
And in a seeming contradiction of his remark in London two weeks earlier
that the two presidents were actively trying to prepare their respective
populations for a compromise peace agreement, Cavanaugh told Reuters on 21
May said that "the people haven't got a lot of signals from the top that
they have to start thinking about reconciliation...the leaders aren't
sending positive messages that everyone has to accept compromises if they
want to live in peace."
While there is undoubtedly considerable opposition both in Armenia and
Azerbaijan to the idea of compromise, that opposition is not a new
development that has emerged since the Key West talks. The emphasis given
to it during the co-chairs' recent visit therefore raises the question
whether either or both presidents has chosen to exaggerate the extent of
that opposition for tactical reasons, or whether the mediators and the two
presidents have reached a tacit agreement to highlight that public
opposition in order to distract attention from other developments that
have jeopardized the prospects for resolving the conflict in the near
future.
Azerbaijani official statements both during and since the co-chairs' 19
May talks in Baku suggest a hardening of the Azerbaijani position. Aliev
reverted to his earlier argument that it is the responsibility of the
co-chairs to draft a settlement document that is acceptable to both
parties (the implication being that they should pressure Yerevan to agree
to a settlement on Baku's terms). "If the two presidents could have found
agreement, there would have been peace long ago," Aliev said.
Meeting in Baku four days later with a visiting EU delegation, Aliev
warned that concessions must be mutual, and that Baku will not make any
unilateral concessions. He said he will not conclude a peace agreement
that does not reflects Baku's demands. The most important of those demands
are the preservation of Azerbaijani's territorial integrity and the
unconditional liberation of occupied Azerbaijani territory. Aliev warned
that the patience of the Azerbaijani people "has been exhausted," and that
popular sentiment increasingly favors a military solution of the conflict.
Most recently, on 26 May, Aliev blamed Armenia for the failure to sign a
peace agreement in Key West.
On 23 May, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aghadjanian told RFE/RL's
Yerevan bureau that "additional difficulties," have arisen in the
negotiating process, but did not say what they entail. She said Aliev and
Kocharian would decide in Minsk on the sidelines of the 1 June CIS summit
on the date for their next round of Minsk Group-mediated talks. (Liz
Fuller)
[RFE/RL] Caucasus Report, 30 May, 2001, Vol. 4, No. 20
Karabakh Peace Talks: Back To Key West?
The peace talks between Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev and Armenian
President Robert Kocharian due to take place in Geneva in June have been
indefinitely postponed. This was confirmed in Baku and Yerevan over the
weekend. The Azerbaijani media have been discussing for last two weeks the
likelihood that the talks would be postponed, pointing out that
differences between Heidar Aliev and Robert Kocharian may negatively
influence the prospects for those talks.
But the main reason for the failure to organise such a meeting, according
to Azerbaijani media, is twofold: Russia's "complicated" policy toward the
Karabakh peace talks and Armenia's refusal to make concessions.
Azerbaijani politicians and observers were not articulate enough to
explain the meaning of Russia's "complicated game." But they argue that
Russia wants to reimpose its supremacy over the entire Caucasus, and
therefore Moscow is using the Karabakh peace talks as a tool to achieve
this goal.
It is hard to say whether this assessment is serious or not. But as far as
the postponement itself is concerned, no one has explained what
"indefinetely postponed" means. The OSCE negotiators and an Armenian
spokesperson were very simplistic about the reasons for this unexpected
decision. Both the OSCE mediators and an Armenian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman argue that "society is not yet ready to compromise and it is
hard to say when the meeting will take place."
But Novruz Mamedov, head of the foreign relations department of President
Aliev's office, gave a completely different reason for the possible
postponoment of the Geneva talks. In his interviews with Azerbaijani media
last week, Mamedov said that as long as Armenia is not ready to make
concessions, there is no need to convene a further meeting in Geneva
between the two presidents. But, strangely enough, Mamedov failed to name
a second more important reason: the reaction of the Azerbaijani society to
the possible concessions President Aliev government was reportedly due to
make.
President Aliev in his remarks on Geneva talks on 26 May also referred to
"concessions" as the main obstacle to achieving a settlement, but he did
put it quite differently.
"I believe that as a result of certain compromises we can achieve a
solution to the Karabakh conflict," Aliev told a gathering in Baku.
President Aliev's approach to the postponement of the Geneva talks is much
more optimistic than remarks of the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman,
but the Azerbaijani president failed to mention a second more important
reason for the postponement -- the anticipated public reaction. Why? One
can only guess why. But the different explanations given in Yerevan and
Baku for the postponement of the Geneva talks show the different attitudes
of the two governments towards public opinion and towards their own
people.
U.S. mediator Carey Cavanaugh told Reuters on 28 May that the two leaders
"had so far failed to prepare their people for the concessions both sides
will have to make for peace." Mr. Cavanaugh is right. The leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan should do more to prepare their people for the
concessions needed to make peace. But as long as one of the leaders of
conflicting countries continues to neglect public opinion, and refuses to
treat his own people as mature enough to influence the decisions made by
the president, there will be no hope that the people of Azerbaijan will be
ready to accept any concessions on this very sensitive issue. Not just the
peaceful solution of the Karabakh issue is at stake, but democratic values
too. Both are equally important.
(Mirza Xazar)
OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen Postponed
The Geneva Meeting
The head of the presidential administration for external relations, Novruz
Mamedov, commenting in an interview with RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service on
the most recent statement by the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen, said the
Geneva meeting has been postponed because of the absence of a constructive
approach in the Armenian position towards the settlement of the Karabakh
dispute. It does not mean that the negotiation process is stopped or
derailed.
Mamedov said Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev stated in Key West and
during his meetings with the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen that Azerbaijan
supports a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict on the basis of
mutual compromise. He said if Armenia demonstrates a constructive approach
towards the Karabakh issue the Geneva meeting will be held. He suggested
that Armenia needs some time to modify its position. When Mamedov was
asked by RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service: "How long will be that pause in the
Karabakh peace process last?" he said that it depends on Armenia's
position.
A representative of the president's office described the activity of the
OSCE Minsk Group as "fruitful" and added that the Minsk Group has not
exhausted its possibilities for solving the conflict. Novruz Mamedov noted
the importance of Russia's role in the Karabakh peace process and said if
U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin reach
agreement on some principles during their meeting in Slovenia it will
contribute to the solution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
(Samira Gaziyeva)
[RFE/RL] Azerbaijan Report, May 29, 2001
AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS TO MEET IN MINSK
By Farhad MAMMADOV
Russia attempts to realize the idea of "Caucasus Four".
Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have declared that the negotiations held between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Heidar Aliev and Robert Kocharian have again failed. It has been officially turned out that next talks of Aliev and Kocharian planned to be held in Geneva on June 15th will not take place. The talks have been postponed to an indefinite date, and its reason, according to the statement of co-chairs, is that "nations are not ready to mutual compromises".
Nevertheless, Aliev meeting with Kocharian at the next summit of CIS countries to begin in Minsk, Belorus, on May 31st is also expected. Naturally, there is not still any official opinion about the face-to-face meeting and talks of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. But it is known that the two presidents will meet in the framework of the idea of "Caucasus Four". Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan are included into this Four and the creator of the idea is Russia.
At some point, the idea of "Caucasus Four" have been put forward by Moscow with the aim of including three South Caucasus republics under Russia's influence by unifying them at the common economic and political place. There have been held several meetings in the framework of this idea until now, but have not been put any concrete steps towards the realization of this idea. In other words, "Caucasus Four" still remains as an idea. If we take into consideration that Armenia is under Russia's military-political control long ago, it becomes clear that "Caucasus Four" is directed towards attracting just Azerbaijan and Georgia under the influence circle of Moscow. In the main, Azerbaijan does not protest on this idea and supports its realization. But only with one condition that Russia helps regulation of the conflict with Armenia. Otherwise, Azerbaijan's position on economic-political integration with the country being in the conflict is not real.
But Moscow speaks on the contrary position and calls Azerbaijan to restore economic relationships with Armenia without the settlement of the conflict. Recently, Russian foreign minister Iqor Ivanov has again come out from this position. In such a condition, it would not be right to expect anything important from the meeting of "Caucasus Fours" in Minsk. In best case, it is expected that the powers of this Four will come out with a joint statement. Despite of this, several observers estimate the idea of "Caucasus Four" revived by Russia in such a period, when the talks begun with the initiative of the U.S. have failed, as an effort of gaining the initiative by Moscow. In addition, there are also such opinions that the talks did not take place because of the difference of opinions between Russia and the U.S.
It is also expected that Russia will pay the main attention towards attracting Azerbaijan to the Collective Security Council at the CIS summit, as well. And Baku's agreement to this fact may mean that Russian military bases will be again settled down in Azerbaijani territories. According to non-official informations, Aliev agrees entering to this council only with the condition that Russia makes Armenia to stop its idea of giving independence to Upper Karabakh by pressuring on this country. But Moscow has again stated that it does not intend to pressure on the conflicting sides
AZERBAIJAN BULLETIN No:22 (276), May 31 2001 [ENGLISH]
Putin describes Nagornyy Karabakh as "gloomy legacy" of post-Soviet era
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 31, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Minsk, 31 May: Russia will use all means to settle conflicts in the Caucasus region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Minsk on Thursday evening while summing up the results of his meeting with Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, and a session of the Caucasian Four, the organization comprising Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Parliamentary, humanitarian and economic ties should be used to attain this end, the Russian president said.
Recalling that Russia is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Karabakh settlement, Putin said Russia's greatest heartache was "the problem of settling the conflict in Nagornyy Karabakh". Putin described the conflict as a gloomy legacy of the post-Soviet era. Russia will be assisting the resolution of the Karabakh problem "in all international formats and via other channels available", Putin said. "I personally highly value the very nature of the conversation held, its openness and productiveness," the president said.
The meetings with the Caucasian presidents dealt with subjects relevant to the entire region, Putin said, noting that particular importance was attached to security matters, as "a lot of problems have accumulated" in the region.
"Many citizens in our countries are still suffering consequences of military conflicts and do not have a roof over their heads," Putin said. "This is exactly why we are talking about promoting cooperation, chiefly in the humanitarian and infrastructure development spheres," the president said.
When asked to comment on the visa regime between Russia and Georgia, Putin said he had come to an agreement with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to meet in Minsk once again to discuss this question as well. Putin recalled that Russia had had to introduce the visa regime to prevent the danger of terrorism spreading in the region.
"A positive change" is taking place in Russian-Georgian relations, Putin said, making it understood that this progress could affect, in particular, the visa regime. In any case, everything possible will be done to ensure easier mutual communication of people from the two states residing in areas contiguous to the border, he said.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1843 gmt 31 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC
Interfax: Russia to Boost Peace Role in Karabakh
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting
with the presidents of three Transcaucasus states on Thursday that Moscow
was ready to step up its peace efforts in the troubled region.
Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying after the meeting in the
Belarus capital Minsk, that Russia would focus on mediating in the dispute
between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The so-called ``Grand Caucasus Four'' group, comprising Putin, Georgia's
Eduard Shevardnadze, Azerbaijan's Haydar Aliyev and Armenia's Robert
Kocharyan, met a day before a wider summit of the 12-member post-Soviet
Commonwealth of Independent States.
``Russia will use all means to take an active part in settling conflicts
in the Caucasus region,'' Interfax quoted Putin as saying. ``Russia is
mostly concerned about finding ways to solve the Karabakh conflict.''
Karabakh is an Azeri region, whose predominantly Armenian population
fights for independence. Around 35,000 peopled died in a six-year war for
the mountainous region before a truce was called in 1994.
Karabakh and vast areas around it are now controlled by separatist forces.
Russia is part of the ``Minsk Group'' of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe which tried to mediate in the Karabakh conflict for
years without much success. The group also includes officials from France
and the United States.
Last month, the United States, keen to seize the initiative and move the
peace process ahead, hosted talks between Aliyev and Kocharyan in the
Florida resort of Key West.
Putin made his statement just five days after Armenia announced that
follow-up negotiations planned for June 15 in Geneva were indefinitely
postponed, quoting lack of public support in both countries for a
compromise.
Putin said Russia would every means to promote peace, including
unspecified parliamentary and economic levers.
Predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan has more than once blamed Russia for what
it sees as bias in favor of Christian Armenia. Russia, which has a
military base in Armenia, has denied the charges.
By REUTERS
May 31, 2001
Filed at 3:31 p.m. ET
Azeri leader stresses need for Russia's active role in settling Karabakh issue
Text of report by Azerbaijani news agency Trend
Baku, 1 June, Trend correspondent Q. Azizoglu: Russia could be playing a
more active and decisive role in settling the conflict in Nagornyy
Karabakh.
Trend news agency reports that Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev said
this at the end of a trilateral meeting in Minsk between the presidents of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia. The head of state thinks that the main
thing in settling the Karabakh problem should be the will of the leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and more active efforts on the part of the OSCE
Minsk Group.
Talking about the ^Caucasus Four^ meeting, Aliyev described its activities
as very useful, primarily for settling conflicts.
Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia, as a cochairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group, was ready to fulfil its obligations in the future. ^Russia^s heart
is aching,^ he said. He pointed out that probably more than other Minsk
Group members, Russia wants ^this difficult post-Soviet legacy to be
forgotten and problems to be solved^. He stressed that Russia would
continue acting within the framework of international efforts and would do
everything possible to settle the Karabakh conflict. At the same time, he
stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan need to develop humanitarian and
economic ties. In his words, Moscow thinks that ^the more elements there
are connecting the countries of the region, the more chances there are of
solving this issue^.
The Armenian president refrained from comment, saying only that the
problems discussed needed to be studied by experts.
We should point out that at the end of the meeting of the ^Caucasus Four^,
the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan held a bilateral meeting.
Source: Trend news agency, Baku, in Russian 1135gmt1Jun0
AZERI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MEET IN MINSK WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF CAUCASIAN 4
Source:ANS
01.06.01--MINSK, Belarus--The meeting of the Caucasian 4 held in Minsk May
31 touched upon the Karabakh problem as well. The leaders of four
Caucasian nations (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia and Georgia) held a news
conference after the meeting. Assessment was given to the situation which
has been formed in the region discussing the prospects of finding ways
out. The President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev said Russia is more
interested in resolution of the Karabakh conflict and this is why it
should play a more active role in this process. Mr Aliyev said adjustment
of the Karabakh conflict depended on the will of Armenian and Azeri
presidents and activity of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. In his talk
with reporters, President Aliyev said activities of the Caucasian 4 were
important in resolution of conflicts. In his turn, Georgian President
Eduard Shevardnadze said the meeting was fruitful. According to him, good
relations have been established among presidents and they are capable of
solution of problems. Refraining from making concrete statements, Armenian
President Robert Kocharian noted that the problems discussed at the
presidential meeting should first be studied by experts. A joint statement
was signed by presidents based on the results of their meeting. The
statement says that the next meeting will be held later this year. It also
adds that the leaders have decided to put an end to the displays of
terrorism and extremism in the region. The statement of the CIS Executive
Committee says that five documents will be discussed at this summit. They
are: procedure regulations, cooperation on sanitary protection of
territories, rehabilitation of war participants and formation of common
education system.
By Ganira Pashayeva
[ANS] News Digest, June 1, 2001
President Aliev: Without Peace No Economic Relations With Armenia
1 June 2001
NEWS BRIEFS
Azerbaijan's President Heydar Aliev has apparently contradicted earlier
reports in the local and international press concerning his approach to
economic ties with Armenia.
" ...They [the OSCE mediators] repeatedly suggested us to start economic
cooperation with Armenia. They argue that this will help to solve the
Karabakh problem. This is an illusion. Reality shows that this is
impossible. I always said that without peace there will be no economic
cooperation between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Aliev told journalists at
Baku airport on May 30 before his departure to attend the CIS summit in
Minsk.
President Aliev's statement about the controversial postponement of the
Geneva talks is also of great interest. Heydar Aliev's statement that the
Minsk meeting will determine whether the Geneva talks will take place or
not, was very surprising. The decision to postpone Geneva meeting between
President Aliev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian was made public by
the OSCE Minsk Group and confirmed officcially by the Armenian president's
office. But the statement made by the Azerbaijani president suggests that
the fate of Geneva talks is not determined yet.
Responding to accusations by some Armenian leaders that Azerbaijan is
using "the language of war," Aliev said the issue of Karabakh is of great
concern in Azerbaijan. "The opposition forces are trying to use this
situation to call for the start of a war with Armenia. Most of population
also in the mood that if we fail to solve this problem by peaceful means,
we have to start a war," he said. But, according to Aliev, the Armenian
side has also declared several times that they are ready to fight.
"Therefore for me this is meaningless rhetoric. I believe these statements
do not affect the overall negotiation process," Aliev said.
On the other hand, President Aliev has endorsed an appeal by a group of
prominent Azerbaijani intellectuals to solve the Karabakh problem by
force. Two different and contradictory positions on one issue may sound
puzzling, of course, but it shows the delicacy of the situation in which
President Aliev finds himself: on the one hand, Heydar Aliev is reluctant
to assume the historic responsibility (to make signficant concessions) and
sign a peace accord with Armenia, and on the other hand, in an apparent
attempt not to displease the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and to
avoid any cconflict with them, he is supporting peace process. This
contradictory policy may pay off for President Aliev morally and publicly,
but it will not lead to a swift solution of the Karabakh conflict. The
delay in reaching a solution to the conflict may displease the Minsk Group
co-chairmen, but it would probably be welcomed by opposition parties and
the radical wing of Azerbaijani society, who oppose any significant
concessions in Karabakh issue.
(Mirza Xazar)
[RFE/RL] Azerbaijan Report, June 1, 2001
Armenian Azeri exile group holds first presser
Excerpt from report by Azerbaijani news agency Turan
Baku, 1 June: The newly-set up international committee Western Azerbaijan
held its first news conference today. A member of the political council of
the Milli Istiqlal Party, Sadman Huseynov, presented the committee^s
project to the news conference.
He said that the committee would represent and protect the interests of
Azeris deported from Armenia. Huseynov said that the committee unites
representatives of different regions and political parties of the country.
The committee intends to call Armenia to account for the moral and
financial damage inflicted on the deported Azeris, demand compensation and
restore the historical and cultural monuments of the Azerbaijani people.
^Our main goal is to establish an Azerbaijani autonomy in Armenia,^
Huseynov said. [passage omitted: similar ideas]
Huseynov said that three other organizations were also engaged on
protecting
the human rights and interests of Azeris deported from Armenia - the
committee for refugees, and the Agry Dag [Ararat] and Iravan societies. He
expressed readiness to cooperate with these organizations regardless of
their political orientation.
Source: Turan news agency, Baku, in Russian 1026gmt1Jun01
WESTERN AZERBAIJAN COMMITTEE GOING TO ACHIEVE RESTORATION OF INFRINGED
RIGHTS OF AZERIS DEPORTED FROM ARMENIA
Source:Turan News Agency
01.06.01--BAKU--Presentation of the recently-created international
committee Western Azerbaijan was held in Bakus Press Club June 1. The
project was presented by the member of the political council of the
National Independence Party (AMIP), Shadman Huseynov. According to him,
the committee must represent and defend the interests of the Azeris
deported from Armenia. The committee comprises representatives of various
regions of Azerbaijan, as well as political parties etc. The committee
puts it an aim to holds Armenia responsible for the material and moral
damage caused to the Azeris deported from this country and demand
compensation, as well as restoration of historical and cultural monuments
of the Azeri nation. The main thing is to create Azeri autonomy in
Armenia, said Mr Huseynov. According to him, the committee has
exceptionally political goals. We are going to raise the problem of
deported Azeris before a number of international organizations, noted Mr
Huseynov. The latter reminded that three more organizations were engaged
in protection of the rights of Azeris deported from Armenia - the
Committee for Refugees, organization Agri Dag and Iravan Society. Mr
Huseynov expressed readiness to cooperate with all these structures
irrespective of their political orientation.
By Staff Writers
[ANS] News Digest, June 1, 2001
Karabakh head says it should unite with Armenia or go independent #########################################################################
HL NOTE: The following news articles ignore such basic facts that:
1) Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was, is, and will remain to be a
legitimate part of the Azerbaijan Republic;
2) Karabakh, and seven other regions are illegally occupied by
the Republic of Armenia, the aggressor;
3) That the puppet leaders and regime(s) of some self-proclaimed "NKR"
entity are recognized by no state and lack any legitimacy whatsoever.
#########################################################################
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 29, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Stepanakert, 29 May: The head of the unrecognized Nagornyy Karabakh Republic Arkadiy Gukasyan, is for the republic's participation in the talks on the future of Karabakh, he declared at a news conference in Stepanakert on Tuesday [29 May].
"The dialogue between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan has brought important elements into the settlement process, but today it is necessary to include Nagornyy Karabakh in the talks," he said.
He ruled out the submission of Nagornyy Karabakh to Azerbaijan since that variant, in his view, "would sooner or later cause the situation to explode". The way to peace and stability lies through either recognizing the independence of Nagornyy Karabakh or uniting it with Armenia."
Gukasyan expressed doubts regarding the chances in signing an agreement on a final settlement by the end of this year, as many questions, in his opinion, have not been resolved.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1358 gmt 29 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
NO SECOND ARMENIAN STATE NEAR AZERI BORDERS: PRESIDENT ALIYEV
Source:ANS
29.05.01--BAKU--The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexiy II was
received by President Heydar Aliyev on the Republic Day, Azerbaijans
Independence Day. This caused the Russian Patriarchs special joy which he
expressed to the Azeri leader. Alexiy II presented President Aliyev with
Saint Daniel Order. After that, Russias Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Nikolai
Ryabov passed to the head of the Azeri state Russian President Vladimir
Putins congratulations on the occasion of the Independence Day. Mr Aliyev
rated the Russian Patriarchs first ever visit to Azerbaijan as a momentous
event. Touching upon historic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, the
Azeri president noted that although various religions exist in the world,
the God is one for all. As for the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, President
Aliyev noted that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs suggested to solve the
problem between the two nations presidents. But Mr Aliyev added that one
needs to take into account the fact that the two countries are not on
equal terms. Said the Azeri president: The co-chairs insist three
proposals should be accepted. They demand to grant independent status to
Nagorno Karabakh. There cant be a second Armenian state near Azerbaijan.
According to international law, UN and OSCE principles, territorial
integrity of any country is untouchable. Armenians want our lands in
Nagorno Karabakh in exchange for those occupied around this region. It
will take 50 years to restore all those occupied lands. Reminding that hes
been conducting meetings with his Armenian counterpart since 1999,
President Aliyev noted that meetings of religious leaders sometimes have
bigger impact in solution of conflicts than those held between political
leaders. The Azeri leader also said a meeting of Azeri and Armenian
religious leaders was necessary at Patriarch Alexiy IIs initiative.
By Natavan Babayeva
[ANS] News Digest, May 29, 2001
Azeri leader slams UN for inaction
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 31, 2001
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 30 May
[Presenter] The UN Security Council's 1993 resolutions on settling the Karabakh conflict remain dead letters, though eight years have passed since they were adopted. Receiving the outgoing UN resident coordinator in Azerbaijan today, President [Heydar] Aliyev voiced his displeasure with the UN's inaction on this issue. Qanira Pasayeva has the details.
[Correspondent over video of the meeting] During his meeting today with UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Ercan Murat, President Heydar Aliyev criticized the UN stand on the Karabakh problem. The president was not satisfied by Mr Murat's words that the UN supports a peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and will render Azerbaijan the necessary assistance when the conflict is settled.
[Heydar Aliyev] The problem should first be resolved peacefully. Unfortunately, I have to say that however bitter this sounds, the UN and its Security Council are very passive in resolving this problem.
[Correspondent] Heydar Aliyev also touched on the problem of Armenia disregarding UN resolutions which recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and demand the liberation of the occupied territories. We have repeatedly raised this problem at the UN, but unfortunately this has yielded no result, the president said. The fact that the OSCE Minsk Group is engaged in settling the problem does not absolve the UN Security Council of responsibility. Heydar Aliyev asked Ercan Murat and the heads of other UN agencies working in Azerbaijan to bring the country's discontent and demands to the notice of the UN leadership and Security Council.
[Heydar Aliyev] We are waiting for real deeds and real results. You probably know better than others the situation of refugees, the conditions in which people are living in tents. No country in the world has so many refugees. No country in the world has people who have lost their land and homes living in such difficult conditions. However, it is natural that the indifferent attitude of international organizations to these problems amazes and hurts us.
[Correspondent] The UN resident coordinator gave the following answer - we have clearly heard your message and will bring it to the notice of the UN secretary-general.
Qanira Pasayeva and Hikmat Asgarov, ANS.
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1600 gmt 30 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
NO POWER RECOGNIZES "NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC"
Stated the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan Mr. Ross Wilson.
"No power of the world recognizes an organization called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" and forms any relations with him", stated the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan at his yesterday's press conference. On answering to the question about the considerations on postponing the peace talks concerning the Upper Karabakh conflict the Ambassador stated that he read these news from the newspaper. In his words, the parties have not concretely agreed with the date of the next meeting. Reminding the trip of the OSCE Minsk Group's co-chairs to the region several days ago, Mr. Wilson added, "co-chairs have come to such an opinion after their talks held in Baku and Yerevan that they have much to do before beginning the next stage of peace talks".
Mr. Ross Wilson has highly appreciated the president Aliev's speech on Saturday: "The President has stated that he regards the peaceful regulation of the conflict as the main priority and the regulation of the conflict is possible with the agreement of both sides".
Touching on the position of the American government concerning the Caspian region the ambassador said: "We always think that economic, political, and social development in the region depends on the political stability here and peace relationships among the powers". The ambassador stressed that not regulating the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia does not play a role of barrier on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as gas pipeline to Turkey: "But we think that if the peace is achieved in the region, the environment that will be formed by pipelines may be fore profitable".
In nearest days, an ambassador Steven Mann, newly appointed advisor of the U.S. Secretary of State on the energy diplomacy of the Caspian field, will come to Baku. Mr. Ross Wilson has given detailed information to the journalists about the trip of Mr. Mann to Azerbaijan, as well as the 8th International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition that will be held in Baku next week and Caspian Financial Seminar at the press conference. It is notable that Elizabeth Johns executed this post before Steven Mann. Steven Mann has worked as the U.S. ambassador in Turkmenistan before being appointed an advisor.
AZERBAIJAN BULLETIN No:22 (276), May 31 2001 [ENGLISH]
AZERBAIJANI WRITERS APPEAL FOR UNITY ON KARABAKH
A dozen prominent Azerbaijani writers made public on 30 May an appeal to
opposition parties to desist from using the debate over how to resolve the
Karabakh conflict as an opportunity to criticize the policies of the
present Azerbaijani leadership or in a bid to come to power, Turan
reported. The writers appealed to the opposition to pledge their support
for President Heidar Aliev's statement that he will never sign a Karabakh
peace agreement that violates Azerbaijan's national interests. They
abjured a military solution to the Karabakh conflict and proposed as the
basic principles of a peace accord the withdrawal of Armenian forces from
occupied Azerbaijani territory, self-government for Nagorno-Karabakh
within Azerbaijan, and a commitment by both Armenia and Azerbaijan to
respect the other's territorial integrity. LF
[RFE/RL] Transcaucasia Newsline, May 31, 2001
525 gazet: Intelligentsia call on people to unite over
Karabakh issue
Azeri intelligentsia for peace, but prepared for war if necessary
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 31 May
entitled "Intelligentsia call on people to unite over Karabakh issue"
Azerbaijani intelligentsia believe president will not sign any document
damaging the country "We are for peace and against a resumption of war and
bloodshed, however, the liberation of lands which have always belonged to
our motherland is more important. If necessary, the use of force, in
conformity with the UN Charter, should not be ruled out." These lines come
from yesterday's statement circulated by the intelligentsia on ways to
resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. This document was signed by
[MPs] Anar, Baxtiyar Vahabzada, Vaqif Samadoglu, Zalimxan Yaqub, Nizami
Cafarov and Balas Azaroglu, Nabi Xazri, Qabil, Huseyn Abbaszada, Bakir
Nabiyev, Mammad Araz and Fikrat Qoca.
The statement says that the intelligentsia support Heydar Aliyev's
principled stance not to sign any document harming Azerbaijan's interests:
"We also want all opposition parties to share this stance. We would like
everyone to refrain from using the Karabakh card for political ends to
come to power."The document says that demanding the immediate liberation
of occupied Azerbaijani lands, we cannot ever reconcile ourselves to
seceding Nagornyy Karabakh lands on any pretext: "One cannot imagine
Karabakh without Susa or Azerbaijan without Karabakh. If talk is of mutual
compromises, then the Azerbaijani people made enough compromises to
Armenians in the 20th century. The capital of Azerbaijan's former Iravan
khanate, Iravan, is now a monoethnic city and the capital of Armenia."
The intelligentsia demand the liberation of the Azerbaijani lands occupied
as a result of Armenian aggression and the return of refugees and forced
migrants to their native lands, with their security guaranteed: "Both
Armenian and Azerbaijani citizens of Nagornyy Karabakh could be granted
self-government status within Azerbaijan."
The document approves of a stage-by-stage resolution of the conflict: "The
UN resolutions on regulation of the conflict should form the basis of the
settlement process. The participation of international forces in ensuring
the security of the population is possible during implementation of the
decisions adopted during the negotiating process. These forces should
consist of the forces of absolutely neutral states with no regional
interests - for example, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland."
Source: 525 qazet,Baku, in Azeri 31 May 01 pp 1,3
Caucasus: More Time Needed To Finalize Karabakh Peace Deal Draft
By Jean-Christophe Peuch
A summit meeting to settle the territorial dispute between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, scheduled for mid-June in
Geneva, has been put off indefinitely. The decision should give
international mediators additional time for final work on drafting a peace
proposal that could put an end to the 13-year-old conflict. RFE/RL
correspondent Jean-Christophe Peuch spoke to the newly appointed French
envoy to the so-called Minsk Group of nations that has been tasked with
monitoring the peace talks.
Prague, 29 May 2001 (RFE/RL) -- International mediators monitoring peace
negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh
territorial dispute have decided to postpone a planned meeting between the
leaders of the two countries next month.
Last Saturday (26 May), Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Dzyunik
Agadzhanian said the meeting, tentatively scheduled for mid-June in
Geneva, had been postponed indefinitely.
The Geneva meeting was due to follow four days of intensive talks earlier
this year (3-6 April) in the Florida resort of Key West, where both sides
reportedly made substantial progress toward a peaceful settlement of the
13-year-old conflict.
The Key West meeting took place under the aegis of the Minsk Group of
nations, which has been mandated by the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, to monitor the peace negotiations.
The mid-June meeting between President Heidar Aliev of Azerbaijan and
President Robert Kocharian of Armenia had been expected to produce a
possible draft of a final peace agreement. This would have been the fourth
such draft accord since the OSCE started mediating the Karabakh settlement
negotiations in the mid-1990s.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict over Karabakh since the
enclave seceded from Azerbaijan in 1988. That move ignited a six-year war
that killed about 35,000 people and drove some 800,000 Azerbaijanis from
their homes.
Despite a truce signed in 1994, scores of people are killed each year
along the demarcation line and ethnic Armenian troops still occupy a
substantial portion of Azerbaijan's territory.
Last week, representatives of the Minsk Group co-chairmen -- Russia,
France, and the United States -- went on a fact-finding tour of the
conflict zone.
The newly appointed French envoy to the Minsk Group, Philippe de Suremain,
told our correspondent that the decision to postpone the Geneva summit was
made at the request of Kocharian and Aliev after the Minsk Group
delegation returned from the region. He said the delay should enable the
Minsk Group mediators to finalize a draft peace plan that later will be
submitted to Aliev and Kocharian for approval:
"At one point, we had considered June as a possible date [for the summit].
But we did not set a precise date. After we completed our tour of the
region, we came to the conclusion that perhaps it would be better if we do
not rush the process too much, if we take some time to think everything
over and go deeper into details."
Last week, Suremain, U.S. envoy Carey Cavanaugh, and Russian
representative Vyacheslav Trubnikov traveled successively to Baku,
Stepanakert, and Yerevan, where they held talks with Aliev, Kocharian, and
officials of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic. A few days
before they had met with Kocharian in New York.
Suremain said both presidents have assured the international mediators
that they are committed to reaching a peaceful solution:
"[Kocharian and Aliev] found it would be more appropriate and productive
if they do not meet in the immediate future. They thought it would be
better to achieve a substantial result rather than attaining a result that
would have certainly represented a step forward [after the Key West
conference], but that would perhaps not have justified a meeting of such
importance."
An official familiar with the talks -- who asked not to be identified --
told RFE/RL that Kocharian and Aliev have already agreed on the basic
principles of a draft peace plan. He said that both leaders have expressly
asked the Minsk Group mediators to keep details of the plan secret.
The official said: "Both presidents want to inform their public opinions
only at the appropriate time. They also want to avoid any partial leakage
that would not reflect the exact content of the peace agreement."
Both Western and regional media have suggested that, under the accord,
Karabakh would enjoy a high degree of self-government, while formally
remaining under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction.
Armenian troops would withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territory under
the supervision of an international monitoring force. In addition, an
Armenian-controlled corridor linking Karabakh to Armenia would be created,
while Azerbaijan would be linked in return by a similar stretch of land to
the ethnic Azerbaijani enclave of Nahicevan, sandwiched between Armenia,
Turkey, and Iran.
Both presidents have hinted in the past that each side will have to make
concessions to reach peace.
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agadzhanian said public opinion on
both sides of the conflict was not ready yet for what she described as
"compromises" necessary to end the conflict. But she added that "this does
not mean that the peace process has stopped."
Three months ago (21 February), state-controlled media outlets in Baku
released for the first time details of the three proposed peace plans
drafted by the Minsk Group since 1997. Publication of these drafts was
followed by a passionate debate in Azerbaijan's National Assembly (Milli
Meclis), which found them "unacceptable."
Since then, opposition parties, war veterans, and refugees in Azerbaijan
have called for the return of occupied territories by military means.
Kocharian is also under domestic pressure, notably from nationalist
parties that are opposed to the return of occupied territories to
Azerbaijan. Kocharian also has to reckon with Karabakh leaders who have
repeatedly said that they would not agree to a settlement that creates a
confederation with Azerbaijan.
Still, French envoy Suremain believes that public opinion in both
countries is convinced that there can be no solution to the conflict other
than a peaceful one:
"In my view, there is a consensus on this issue. I have not heard any
strong disagreement on either side. Obviously, nobody believes that
resuming military operations could provide for a reasonable solution."
Speaking to reporters in Baku last week, U.S. envoy Cavanaugh said that
the major obstacle to a peace accord was less the substance of the
negotiations than convincing public opinion in both Azerbaijan and Armenia
to make sacrifices for peace.
Regional experts generally believe that fear of negative reactions at home
explain why Aliev has sent contradictory signals over the past few months.
Navruz Mamedov, who heads the foreign affairs department in Aliev's
administration, said last week (25 May) in Baku that Azerbaijan would
consider war as an option in case peace negotiations fail. But the next
day, Aliev told a gathering of political leaders that he wanted a
peaceful, rather than military, solution. Noting that it would be
impossible to achieve peace without compromises, Aliev warned that these
compromises "must be equal on both sides."
Suremain says the decision to postpone the Geneva summit should not be
understood as a setback in the peace process. Rather, he says, it reflects
the intricacies of the negotiations:
"[I believe that] this is a rather good sign. The more we move forward,
the more we understand the complexity of the situation. It is like a
construction game: whenever you touch a part, you make the other parts
move. Therefore, we must be very tactful. We should not try to reach a
peace agreement by force. We should reach an agreement that satisfies both
sides."
Aliev and Kocharian are expected to meet later this week (31 May) on the
sidelines of a CIS summit in the Belarus capital Minsk. But diplomats
familiar with the progress of their negotiations say that even if it takes
place, the meeting is unlikely to provide any breakthrough in the peace
process.
Copyright 2001 RFE/RL
NYT: Casualties Mount in the Long Battle of Armenia and Azerbaijan
May 27, 2001
By MICHAEL WINES
AGHDAM, Azerbaijan � Having lost her husband and her life's
belongings in Azerbaijan's long-playing war with Armenia, Anya
Huseneva says she has but one wish: to quit the disease-ridden
refugee camp where she lives, 30 miles away, and return home to
this city, which has been under Armenian control since 1993.
"My husband's only desire was for his homeland," she wailed, tears
streaming down her face. "We can't live without Aghdam, our city."
Little does she know that she has lost Aghdam, too. After some
50,000 Azeris like Ms. Huseneva fled nearly a decade ago, the wave
of looting that followed stripped this city to its foundations.
Today, Aghdam lies in spectacular ruin, a weed-infested rubble of
contorted metal and toppled walls. The graffiti-covered central
mosque has been taken over by about three dozen cows. Not a single
building stands intact.
"It was turned into the largest Home Depot on the planet," said
Carey Cavanaugh, an American special negotiator in the conflict, as
he wheeled his minivan into Aghdam.
Among Azeri refugees like Ms. Huseneva, "there is an understanding
that the city is destroyed," he said. "But I don't think they have
a concept of just how destroyed it is. Coming back and seeing this
will be very hard for them."
The ruins are a result of the war that has been waged off and on
since 1988 between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a
mountain enclave of spectacular beauty whose population has been
heavily Armenian for the last century but which lies within the
territory of rival Azerbaijan.
Six years of hot war and another seven of barely enforced truce
have further calcified enmities stretching back a thousand years
and more.
Leaders of both nations have been loath to suggest that peace
would require concessions and compromises, such as sharing or
giving up land, that might be seen as weakness. Negotiations
brokered by the United States, Russia and France have lately
generated the outline of an accord to end the war. But the nature
of that outline is itself a secret, and people on both sides have
little concept of the hardships any final accord would bring.
In the absence of any national consensus on peace, the two sides
continue to endure a truce that has been almost as devastating as
the war that killed at least 30,000 people, and made refugees of
perhaps a million more.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a land of thousand-foot cliffs, forests and
volcanoes with scenery that mimics Switzerland in one moment,
Tuscany the next. Soviet rule put a tight lid on the nationalist
sentiments of the ethnic Armenians until the Soviet Union itself
weakened in the late 1980's. A bloodbath followed. In Azerbaijan's
capital, Baku, Azeris killed scores of Armenians, desecrated their
cemeteries and evicted thousands more in pogroms.
Thousands of Azeris and their graveyards met similar fates in
Nagorno-Karabakh, whose Armenians declared independence from
Azerbaijan in late 1991. Armenian troops eventually poured into
Azerbaijan, secured Nagorno-Karabakh, routed Azeri forces and, as a
final insult, seized a swath of Azeri territory before a truce took
hold in 1994.
And there matters stand. Azerbaijan staggers under the weight of
hundreds of thousands of refugees from Armenian-occupied territory.
Armenia, blockaded by Azerbaijan on one side and a hostile Turkey
on the other, has slipped even deeper into poverty. At least 40
percent of its 3.5 million citizens have left since 1990.
After seven years of cease-fire, practically every village in
Nagorno- Karabakh and the surrounding Azerbaijani countryside still
bears deep scars: buildings with their roofs ripped off, barns and
warehouses reduced by combat to windowless shells.
From Stepanakert, the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a sharp tilt of the head brings into view the
impossibly high town of Shusha, from whose cliffs Azeri troops
lobbed shells that destroyed the town's silk factory, maternity
hospital and many of its houses.
The Armenians eventually took Shusha, drove out the Azeris and
filled their war-shattered apartments with roughly 5,000 Armenian
refugees, themselves driven out of Baku. They live there today,
largely because they have no other place to go. They subsist on
sugar and oil from the government and on the harvest from their own
gardens. But there is also no thought of letting Azeris � who have
a rich history in the enclave � return as part of a peace
settlement.
Bhahatur Hachatrian is a 70-year- old Armenian who fled here with
his wife and four children after living in Baku for 55 years. The
Azeris, he said, told him either to leave town or be killed. And a
62-year-old economist, who lost her husband and father in the war,
could not even begin to fathom the prospect of an Azeri return. "If
they lived here," she said straight-faced, "then where would we
live?"
So it goes. For every Armenian insult to Azeris, there is a
matching Azeri slap that Armenians will not forget. And for every
Azeri like Tamara Apasova, who was driven from Shusha by Armenians,
lost her husband, uncle and nephew in the war and has been reduced
to living in a refugee camp in the Azerbaijani town of Aghjabedi,
there is an Armenian like 64-year-old Zhena Agababyan, who was
driven from Baku by Azeris and lost her husband in 1988.
Ms. Agababyan has spent the last 12 years with her daughter Sveta
in the Armenian town of Spitak, living in a metal shipping
container. "Here are our papers," she said, waving a passport and
assorted documents in unmistakable desperation. "Help us � please
help us. We left everything behind."
Most want the war to end. The problem, said Mr. Cavanaugh, the
American peace negotiator, is that few of them want a peace their
enemy can also accept. "I don't think people have been well
prepared to accept compromises for peace," he said. "I think they
think that they'll have peace on their terms."
The United States, Russia and France have been trying to broker a
peace between Azerbaijan's president, Heydar Aliyev, and Armenia's
president, Robert Kocharian. An April meeting between the two in
Key West, Fla., produced the first concrete indications that a deal
was in the works.
But both leaders appear to be ahead of their people. The mere hint
of compromise has led to an outcry among some in Azerbaijan's
political opposition, and both presidents have backed off a bit
from their earlier enthusiasm for a deal.
In recent months, the negotiators have upped the ante in the peace
talks, holding out the prospect that an accord will net Armenia and
Azerbaijan a flood of foreign aid and investment.
"There's been a lot going on here. There's been a dialogue between
both leaders in the last two years that we've never had before,"
Mr. Cavanaugh said. "Can they carry it to a conclusion? I don't
know."
[A summit meeting between the two presidents scheduled for June in
Geneva has been postponed indefinitely, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry announced Saturday, according to Agence France-Presse. A
spokeswoman said the meeting was put off at the suggestion of the
sponsors, who felt there was no chance for the moment of achieving
further progress.]
Some Azeris who fled Aghdam a decade ago have given up on
regaining their old lives and have left the refugee camps to find
work in Baku. Mostly they are the men, leaving the women in the
one-room stone huts of the Aghjabedi camp where Anya Huseneva and
3,200 other homeless Azeris live.
In the camp there is some electricity but no running water. Ms.
Huseneva's 22-year-old daughter, Parvana, says the settlement has
been hit by malaria and that medicine is in short supply, which aid
workers confirm.
Charities have either abandoned food and medical aid in favor of
job training, or abandoned the camp altogether. There are an
additional 15,000 refugees at other camps nearby who are as bad off
or worse. Yet closing down Azerbaijan's refugee camps would be
tantamount to admitting that the war with Armenia is over � and
that Azerbaijan has lost.
Few of the exiles seem willing to settle for that.
"We did
nothing wrong," said Hassana Rekhman, a balding, moon- faced
40-year-old from a village near Aghdam. "We are ready to live as
before. We want our homelands. Otherwise we're ready to make war to
take our lands back."
Parvana Huseneva spoke forcefully when asked her view of the
Armenians in trenches a few miles west. "We hate them," she said.
Copyright 2001 The New York Times
President says Azeris ready for war in Republic Day speech
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 28, 2001
Text of Ilhama Qasimli report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 27 May entitled "Heydar Aliyev: 'We are ready for war any time it is needed' "
"If no compromise is made in the current situation, it will be impossible to achieve peace. However, any compromises should be mutual. We are ready to wage a war any time it is needed. We have a strong and mighty army able to liberate our land from occupation. However, this is not yet necessary." President Heydar Aliyev said this at yesterday's ceremony to mark Republic Day. His idea that the Nagornyy Karabakh problem could be resolved through war was greeted with prolonged applause from a 2,000-strong audience, which included about 200 servicemen, among whom were war veterans.
The president said that some opposition politicians' favouring of a military solution did not reflect the reality, but was a "populist political advertisement".
Speaking about the policy that the authorities have been pursuing for the past few years, Aliyev said that the government he leads has done much to defend and preserve Azerbaijan's independence, increasing the population's social security and guaranteeing freedom of the press. Touching upon freedom of the press, the president cited the increased number of newspapers as an example of freedom of speech. However, Aliyev slammed the press at the same time. He said that many of the critical articles about him were libellous. "The number of newspaper is growing every day. However, lies are also growing. Lies are written about me every day."
Source: 525 qazet, Baku, in Azeri 27 May 01 p1
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeris prepare for anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh, paper says
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 28, 2001
The Azerbaijani newspaper Zaman has suggested that Azerbaijan is preparing to employ Russian tactics and present any military solution of the Karabakh problem as a fight against terrorism. It said that the international community has come to recognize "armed separatism" as terrorism. Russia used this argument in Chechnya, and officials in Baku are ready to do the same, although Russia itself refuses to allow parallels between its war in Chechnya and the Karabakh situation, because of a policy of "double standards". The following is text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zaman on 23 May entitled "Anti-terror operation":
Azerbaijan intends to carry out an operation similar to the one that Russia is implementing in Chechnya. Recent comments by officials suggest deliberate preparations
The behaviour of Baku officials at the current stage of the peace talks could look strange at first sight, becaue the essence of events surrounding Nagornyy Karabakh was clear 10 or 12 years ago. Azerbaijan has repeatedly drawn attention to this fact and stressed the awful intrigues of the Armenian terrorists. However, there are reasons for taking deliberate and consistent steps now. Terrorism is already classified as an international threat. Recent UN resolutions stress that armed separatism against a country's territorial integrity is one of the most serious examples of terrorism. International law now shows a global approach to the phenomenon and views as terrorism not only the blowing up of a supermarket, but also large-scale aggressive separatism which results in the occupation of territories and ethnic purges.
In turn, international law regards as permissible the necessary operations to eliminate a humanitarian disaster resulting from separatist deeds. It is no coincidence that the Kremlin has presented the military campaign mounted by Russia in the North Caucasus in autumn 1999 in this light. resulting in only weak protests from the international community, in comparison with the 1994-96 war.
Baku's recent statements show that account has been taken of these views. The Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe took the first step in this direction at PACE's April session and intends to continue such steps in June. A parliamentary delegation will present to the [PACE] session a special draft resolution proving Armenian terrorism against Azerbaijan. Similar steps are planned in other spheres.
Defence Minister Safar Abiyev raised this problem at the CIS summit in Baku last week. To recap, when the statute of the CIS anti-terrorism centre was being prepared, Azerbaijan secured the insertion of a clause about aggressive separatism in the statute. This means that this agency will combat not only terrorism, but also aggressive separatism within the CIS. It is true that Russia has not yet given up its policy of double standards in this sphere and does not want to admit that Armenian separatism in Nagornyy Karabakh is terrorism. The Kremlin is carrying out its well-publicized [military] operation against Chechnya, which does not recognize Russia's constitution and laws, but still does not want to use the same criteria to judge the deeds of the Armenians, who have been disobeying Azerbaijan for 13 years and, in addition, have devastated [Azerbaijan's] seven districts outside Nagornyy Karabakh. Evidence of this can be found in the words that Russian Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo said in Baku. But for Baku, Moscow's stand on this is not important. The point is to put this problem on the agenda. Baku wants to raise the problem at the UN. National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has said that Baku has enough evidence to prove the terrorist character of Armenian separatism.
It is clear why Azerbaijan is trying to demonstrate the real nature of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in the eighth year of the talks process (since the cease-fire signed in 1994). By presenting the problem in this light, Baku is showing that it will be able to use the scope provided by international law (to carry out anti-terrorist operations).
When [former presidential aide] Eldar Namazov and [former foreign minister] Tofiq Zulfugarov put forward a project based on the right to carry out a humanitarian operation in the districts round Nagornyy Karabakh some time ago, the authorities stressed that the plan required political and legal preparations. These preparations have already started. On the other hand, by putting this problem on the agenda, Azerbaijan is giving an appropriate response to the pressure being exerted by the mediators. It was no coincidence that the [OSCE Minsk Group] cochairmen left Baku empty-handed last week and that the Geneva talks have been put off indefinitely.
Source: Zaman, Baku, in Azeri 23 May 01 p3
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri president calls for compromise to settle Karabakh dispute
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 26, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Baku, 26 May: The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict can be settled through compromises, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev said.
"The problem cannot be resolved without compromises under the circumstances," the president said at a meeting devoted to Republic Day, celebrated on 28 May.
At the same time, he stressed that compromises have to be made by both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and they "should be equal".
In his view, the situation is favourable for the resolution of the conflict. The leaders of the countries which are co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagornyy Karabakh - the presidents of Russia, the United States and France - are acting in close cooperation and exerting maximum effort to achieve a peaceful settlement. "We should use this and reach peace," Aliyev said.
The president stressed that he prefers a negotiated settlement and criticized certain forces in the country which are trying to convince the public that the conflict can be resolved only by force. "They must know that we are ready for a war and can wage it, but there is no need for that now," he said.
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1657 gmt 26 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Russian, Azeri spiritual leaders call for meeting with Armenia
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 27, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Baku, 27 May: The patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Aleksiy II, and the chairman of the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus, Seyx ul-Islam Haci Allahsukur Pasazada, said in Baku on Sunday [27 May] that it was important to have another meeting of religious leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The meeting date is still to be coordinated, Aleksiy II said at a press conference. It depends on the agreement of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, he noted. "We plan to meet simultaneously with the leaders of the two Transcaucasian countries to voice our opinion about ways out of the crisis and help the statesmen to solve the problem," the patriarch said.
There is a preliminary information that Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan may meet on 31 May- 1 June during the CIS summit in Minsk.
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1736 gmt 27 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri president seeks patriarch's help in resolving Karabakh conflict
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 28, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Baku, 28 May: Azeri President Heydar Aliyev asked Patriarch Alexiy II of Moscow and All Russia to step up religious efforts in the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
In his meeting with the Russian Orthodox Church leader today, Aliyev said "we need you to continue your peacemaking mission because the influence of respected spiritual leaders on the people can be sometimes stronger than that of the state leaders".
He said that noble efforts to reconcile peoples and states, rather than extremism and terrorism disguised by religious slogans, was what real fate supposed to mean.
Alexiy II told Aliyev that he and [Chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the Caucasus] Seyx ul-Islam Haci Allahsukur Pasazada on Sunday [27 May] signed a declaration which set out principles of peace settlement in Nagornyy Karabakh.
"We agreed to hold one more meeting of religious leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to help statesmen find a way out of the crisis", he said.
The patriarch assured Aliyev that the Russian Orthodox Church would do everything possible to resolve the conflict.
"Religious leaders cannot make political decisions, but on ethical and humanitarian grounds we shall do whatever we can to help reconcile the two peoples," Alexiy II said.
Late in the evening, he was due to fly back to Moscow.
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1955 gmt 28 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
SNARK: Drug-related crimes increase in Karabakh #########################################################################
HL NOTE: The following news articles ignore such basic facts that:
1) Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was, is, and will remain to be a
legitimate part of the Azerbaijan Republic;
2) Karabakh, and seven other regions are illegally occupied by
the Republic of Armenia, the aggressor;
3) That the puppet leaders and regime(s) of some self-proclaimed "NKR"
entity are recognized by no state and lack any legitimacy whatsoever.
Further, the Stalin imposed name of Stepanakert in 1923, is invalid and
the historic name of the city, Khankandi, has been restored since
Azerbaijan's re-establishment of independence.
#########################################################################
Text of report by Armenian news agency Snark
Yerevan, 26 May: Nineteen drug-related criminal cases have been registered
during the first quarter of 2001. This is three times as many as during
the same period last year.
According to a senior employee of the criminal investigation department of
the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic [NKR] Interior Ministry, Artur Farsiyan,
crimes of this type have risen by 20 per cent. He said the reason for this
was that cooperation between law-enforcement bodies and the public to
combat these crimes was not clear or stable enough.
Today 80 drug addicts have been registered by the criminal investigation
department of the NKR Interior Ministry, 34 of whom are residents of
Stepanakert [Xankandi]. The local drugs clinic is treating 12 addicts.
Interior Ministry employees are carrying out regular raids in the
republic's districts to find and destroy narcotic substances.
The Armenian Interior Ministry is helping Karabakh law-enforcement bodies
to combat drug addiction. In line with an existing agreement, Armenian
Interior Ministry staff will come to Nagornyy Karabakh in the near future to render
practical assistance on the spot.
Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Is Complex
By Jim Heintz
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, May 26, 2001; 5:03 AM
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan �� Standing on the dizzying Shusha heights, U.S., French and Russian diplomats could see the site of a key turning point in the six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh � and its bleakest consequence.
On one side were the plunging 1,000-foot cliffs that a handful of ethnic Armenian commandos scaled to knock out Azerbaijani heavy artillery that had devastated the separatist region's capital, Stepanakert, which lies below.
On the other side lay the city of Shusha. Populated mostly by Azeris before the war, almost all of its 5,000 residents are now ethnic Armenian refugees who fled violence in other parts of Azerbaijan during the war.
Somewhere in distance, the diplomats mediating a thorny peace process believe, is a settlement agreement that could bring stability and eventually prosperity to Azerbaijan and Armenia, countries of strategic importance both to Russia and the West.
But for any deal to work, it must address both the pride and the suffering that Shusha symbolizes.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a small patch of high mountains and deep valleys, where Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis lived for nearly a millennium as their land shifted among empires. After the Russian empire's collapse in 1917, new governments in Armenia and Azerbaijan briefly struggled for control of the area until Soviet dictator Josef Stalin made it part of Azerbaijan in the 1920s.
Long-suppressed ethnic tensions erupted in the 1980s as the Soviet grip loosened, and war broke out after the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh sought to break away from Azerbaijan in 1988.
After a war that killed more than 30,000 people and drove a million from their homes, a 1994 cease-fire left Nagorno-Karabakh firmly in control of an unrecognized ethnic Armenian government and its militia, who stare down Azerbaijani troops along a well-fortified "line of control."
The United States, Russia and France have led a nine-year peace effort and are pressing for a resolution of the enclave's status, shepherding the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan through at least 15 meetings in the last two years. The mediators visited the region this month with a sense of urgency.
In the decade since becoming independent, Armenia has sunk into poverty, even its prosperous diaspora reluctant to invest. For Azerbaijan, the flood of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and threat of renewed war has stymied development of the rich Caspian Sea oil fields.
The top U.S. mediator, Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, says a settlement could be an economic windfall, boosting investor confidence, opening borders and restoring impoverished and landlocked Armenia's rail links with Turkey, which favors Azerbaijan.
But in Shusha, the long view is not as compelling as the miseries and resentments in the foreground. Azeris consider the city the historical and cultural heart of Nagorno-Karabakh � and they want it back. Ethnic Armenians who fled there to escape attacks elsewhere in Azerbaijan say they won't leave.
"I can't go back to Baku. I was driven out � the Azeris told me 'leave or we will kill you'," said Bagrat Khachatrian, 70, one of a crowd who surrounded the envoys in Shusha to press their complaints. Meanwhile, Baku is Azerbaijan's capital.
With grievances simmering, Cavanaugh has said that even if Azerbaijan President Geidar Aliev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian manage to agree on a settlement deal, the hard part will be convincing their constituents to accept painful compromises.
Although some 200 people die from bullets or mines linked with the conflict, the deaths attract little international attention. Cavanaugh worries Nagorno-Karabakh could become a "comfortably stagnant" dispute, written off by foreign governments as a hopeless cause, but not an especially troubling one.
Superficially, Nagorno-Karabakh would be easy to forget. With about 140,000 people at most among soaring mountains on a tiny territory traversed by axle-shattering roads, it seems like a classic backwater: scenic but insignificant.
However, it lies athwart the crossroads of Russia with Turkey and Iran. Empires have vied for control of the region, a history reflected in the name Nagorno-Karabakh, a Russian-Turkish-Persian hybrid meaning "mountainous black garden."
For Russia, a settlement would bring a welcome dose of stability in a region already wracked by war in Chechnya, and a chance to exert more influence.
For the United States, a settlement would be a foreign-policy victory at a time when Mideast peace efforts have disintegrated, and possibly a small step closer to rapprochement with Iran.
� 2001 The Associated Press
Karabakh 'impasse' advantageous for Armenian and Azeri presidents
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 26, 2001
Text of report by the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on 25 May
Today all the main events in the Transcaucasian region are taking place under the dominant idea of the "Russian factor". This circumstance is accounted for, above all, not only by the manifest strengthening of the military-political salient in Russia's foreign policy in respect of the Southern Caucasus, but also by the so-called events factor - such as the meeting of CIS defence ministers held recently in Baku and the summit of the Collective Security Treaty member states currently taking place in Yerevan.
To a certain extent, there is also the impact of the lack of more or less close personal relations between representatives of the region's political elite and key members of George Bush's new administration, as well as incompatibility of political mentalities of the Transcaucasian politicians and the extremely pushy, and even somewhat crude, aims of the present US administration.
Also characteristic in this light is the fact that the last visit by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, the United States, and France) to the region of the Karabakh conflict took place under the manifest leadership of Russian co-chairman Nikolay Gribkov, while the intermediaries' tour itself looked more like a confrontation "in the spirit of full mutual understanding and the unity of positions".
Just as "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" had predicted, the post-Key West optimism evaporated very quickly, and the Karabakh settlement, as the majority of experts admit, has ended in another impasse. Thus, it is already admitted almost on an official level that the "decisive" meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan with international intermediaries in Geneva, previously scheduled for 15 June, may either be postponed until the end of summer or the beginning of autumn, or may even not take place at all.
This is, naturally, a serious blow to the authority of the US side, which has acted as the main initiator and patron of the next Armenian-Azerbaijani summit in Switzerland, whose potential success must have been based on the "extremely positive results" of the last meeting between [Armenian President Robert] Kocharyan and [Azeri President Heydar] Aliyev in Florida.
Admittedly, it should be pointed out that the US representative's marked optimism did, in itself, become an important factor in just such a development of the situation, for he alluded in a certain sense to "the inevitability of compromises". Naturally, what the latter implies, above all, is significant territorial and geopolitical concessions on both the Azeri and the Armenian side, which both Aliyev and Kocharyan simply cannot afford to make.
It is interesting that this circumstance also found a worthy place in the overall system of optimistic statements by Cary Cavano, US co-chairman of the Minsk Group. According to him, there is only one obstacle remaining in the way of establishing an all-embracing and lasting peace in the region of the Karabakh conflict, namely "the lack of readiness to make mutual concessions on the part of the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagornyy Karabakh".
On this plane, the Russian side proved a tad more open and objective. First, Nikolay Gribkov emphasized that "the Karabakh problem is so complex that we should be prepared for anything." Second, he made it perfectly clear that, in addition to the manifest internal obstacles to a settlement, there are also very serious geopolitical obstacles.
The Russian co-chairman specially pointed out that "it will hardly be possible to achieve a real solution to the problem of Nagornyy Karabakh without taking the interests of Iran into account," but, at the same time, he refused to answer a question from Armenian journalists about the acceptability to Moscow of the Karabakh settlement option which provides for the Armenian-Iranian border to be controlled by an international peacekeeping contingent. "At the request of both presidents we are unable to comment on any questions concerning possible ways to settle the problem of Nagornyy Karabakh-Karabakh," Nikolay Gribkov pointed out.
Meanwhile, according to "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" information, one of the main causes of the failure of the settlement scenario drawn up by the Americans was precisely the Iranian factor, accounted for, in particular, by Tehran's growing displeasure at Azerbaijan's increasing claims on Azeri-populated Iranian territories and at the clear threat of the activation of centrifugal trends there in the event of a territorial link being established between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.
It is obvious that such a scenario for the development of the situation can hardly have been disregarded either by the sides actually involved in the conflict, or by all the external forces which today have been drawn directly into the Karabakh settlement. It should be assumed that each of these sides has its own view on the further scenario for the development of the situation, given the impasse which has formed and which, however paradoxical this may seem at first sight, has constituted another foreign policy victory for the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Many people in Yerevan today are already inclined to admit that Robert Kocharyan's plan really has worked. Armenia has appeared before the international community as a side which does all it can to welcome, and is prepared for, the establishment of peace and stability in the region, which had once again proved unattainable in view of "the harsh remarks and tough stance of the president of Azerbaijan," who described as "shameful" the settlement option proposed according to the "virtual independence of Nagornyy Karabakh" scheme.
Having sharply criticized the international intermediaries' activities, Heydar Aliyev in turn appeared before the Azeri public as a principled defender of the national interests of Azerbaijan, which, incidentally, "will not sign a peace agreement which does not reflect Baku's legitimate demands". Having disarmed the opposition, the president of Azerbaijan, so Baku experts believe, has demonstrated once again that he intends to be at the head of any means to resolve the conflict - both peaceful and military.
A situation seems to be taking shape in the region of the Karabakh standoff which is analogous with the one which arose after the two Paris meetings of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The threat of the resumption of military operations is once again becoming topical, which means that the positions of all the external forces which regard the Karabakh conflict as the main lever for strengthening their positions in the Transcaucasian region are being strengthened still further.
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow, in Russian 25 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri president's aide says Armenia must adopt "constructive" stance for Geneva
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 26, 2001
Text of report by Azerbaijani Space TV on 25 May
[Presenter] The Turkish Daily News newspaper yesterday [24 May] quoted diplomatic sources as saying that a preliminary document on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict would soon be adopted in Geneva. The document will demonstrate that the conflicting parties have agreed on the principles for the settlement of the problem. The head of the foreign affairs department of the [Azerbaijani] Presidential Executive Staff, Novruz Mammadov, today denied that such an agreement would be reached.
[Video shows Mammadov speaking at news conference] Generally speaking, if someone takes responsibility to speak about the settlement of this complex conflict and says that a certain document will be signed at a certain meeting, I think that this person is making forecasts.
[Correspondent] Mammadov said that the talks on a fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh had become more active and that the conflict always attracted the attention of world states because the Caucasus is of major political importance. Saying that the peaceful settlement of the conflict is a priority of [Azerbaijani] President Heydar Aliyev's foreign policy, Mammadov said that articles in the opposition press about official Baku's inclination towards the defeatist peace were ill-intentioned. He said that these publications stirred up public fears. Mammadov did not deny that Armenia's propaganda campaign was strong, but at the same time said that the recent statements by the Armenian foreign minister were groundless. Mammadov said that he would not tell the media concrete details of the talks. He noted that, in general, the talks were very difficult, but that no document against Azerbaijan's national interests and statehood principles would be signed. Armenia must take into consideration Azerbaijan's interests because our proposals are more realistic, Mammadov said. He also noted that Armenian policy is always based on mythology. Armenia must adopt a constructive position in order for the Geneva talks to take place.
[Mammadov] Of course, Armenia might need some time for this. I cannot say anything concrete. A meeting of the [OSCE] Minsk Group cochairmen will take place in June. Additionally, meetings between the presidents for the settlement of this issue might be held. Meetings between the leaders of the Minsk Group cochairing states might be held as well. We will see what these meetings and talks bring.
[Correspondent] Mammadov commented on a statement by the [CIS] Collective Security Council countries:
[Mammadov] I think that this is some kind of a political formula used by Mr [Secretary-General of the Collective Security Council Valeriy] Nikolayenko. This is probably a message to Azerbaijan that it would be better if it joined the Collective Security Treaty, so that this does not concern us [Nikolayenko's statement in Yerevan that force might be used against non-members].
[Correspondent] Saying that there are various interests in the settlement of the conflict, Mammadov could not confirm statements about the implementation of the war option. Sevinc Vaqifqizi, Ceyhun Mammadyarov, Space.
Source: Space TV, Baku, in Azeri 1200 gmt 25 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
AZERBAIJAN COUNTING ON ARMENIAS CONSTRUCTIVE STANCE
Azerbaijan is ready to provide Upper Garabagh the highest
self-administration status within the republic. This is the countrys
position in the settlement issue. Now, Azerbaijan expects Armenia to take
a constructive position and the Geneva talks may be held only after
Armenia clarifies its position, head of the Presidents office
international relations department Novruz Mammadov told a traditional news
conference at the Yeni Azerbaijan HQs Friday.
Mr. Mammadov thinks that since the peace process will take a while, the
timing for the Geneva talks may be altered. He did not rule out that the
OSCE MG co-chairs may have to pay another visit to the region during this
period. The Azeri and Armenian presidents are also expected to meet on the
fringes of the CIS Minsk summit on June 1.
Touching upon media publications suggesting that Azerbaijan is about to
sign for a defeatist peace in Geneva, Mr. Mammadov said Baku would not
sign an agreement hurting its national and state interests. It remains to
be still after all whether a final agreement will be signed in Geneva.
Asked about the possibility of abolishing the Minsk Group in a move to
build a new format, Mr. Mammadov said it was not necessary as MG endeavors
had not yet been depleted.*
AssA-Irada News Digest, May 25, 2001
Russia is preparing for war with Azerbaijan
Russians unambiguously declared that they would use military force against Azerbaijan for the cause of Karabakh.
In case of war threat against a country-member of the Collective Security Treaty (CST), coming from other countries of the CIS not in the agreement, it cannot be excluded that CST can apply force. The Secretary General of the Collective Security Council of the Commonwealth, Valeriy Nikolayenko, made this statement on a Wednesday briefing in Yerevan. In addition, as Yerevan agency �Mediamax� reports, Nikolayenko stressed that CST prioritizes settlement of conflicts by peaceful methods. Valeriy Nikolayanko declared that the Caucasus line is the most advanced in the common system of CST. He remarked that �these forces are forming on the basis of the Armenian-Russian agreements and are also actively developing.� Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Tadzhikistan and Kirghizia are members of the Collective Security Treaty. Georgia, like Azerbaijan, refused to prolong their participation in the treaty in the late 90s.
On the meeting in Yerevan on Wednesday, President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Secretary General of the Collective Security Council (CSC) Valeriy Nikolayenko expressed persuasion that the decisions of Yerevan summit of the CST member countries will bring the cooperation in the counteraction to �international terrorism� to a new level. Valeriy Nikolayenko noted the extensive preparatory work, performed in Armenia, for the forthcoming summit of the leaders of CST member-countries to be held on 25 May. During the conversation the sides also discussed the prospects of political integration of the countries-members of this treaty. Presidents of Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Tadzhikistan and Kirghizia will participate in CST summit in Yerevan.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defense of Armenia Serge Sarkisyan thinks that in the nearest future it will be possible to sign a directive on the usage and joint planning of united Armenian-Russian military formations. When giving speech to journalists, Serge Sarkisyan told that the signing of such a document means establishment of a common Armenian-Russian formation, which will include the 102nd Russian military base, stationing in Armenia, and one of the army corpses of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The head of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported that it is also planned in the nearest future to sign an agreement on military cooperation with Belorussia.
Obviously, all these statements and plans are unlikely to suit Azerbaijan, which has been demonstrating bold and sometimes just indecent loyalty to Moscow over the last months. It relates most importantly to the known facts of handing over to the Russian side some citizens of Ichkeria and Dagestan, who were accused by Moscow of the so-called �terrorism�. Despite complete absence of viable facts to prove the charges of Moscow, Geidar Aliev hurried to please Kremlin hoping for gratitude in return. Moscow replied to Aliev. Now Russian forces �on legal grounds� will fight on the side of Armenia against Azerbaijan in Karabakh. Here is one more important detail. After obtaining �legal grounds� for the participation in military actions in the South Caucasus, it becomes unfavorable for Russia that Baku and Yerevan come to an agreement about Karabakh. Resumption of war provides Russians with a strong lever of pressing on Baku and with a possibility to replace dying Aliev with their own person. Luckily, Moscow has plenty of candidates. However, Aliev still retains a chance of maintaining balance and attempting to turn the situation in his favor. For this to be accomplished it is necessary to change the attitude to the �Chechen factor� and understand finally that the North Caucasus is just as vitally important a region for Azerbaijan as Karabakh itself. Chechens have a good saying, �One who did not struggle for the opposite bank will lose his own bank!�
Said Irbakhaev, Kavkaz-Center
Envoy rules out Russia's involvement in military actions against Azerbaijan
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 26, 2001
Text of report by Azerbaijani Space TV on 25 May
[Presenter] The Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Nikolay Ryabov, has commented on the setting up of an Armenian-Russian joint military grouping within the framework of the CIS and [CIS] Collective Security Council Secretary-General Valeriy Nikolayenko's statement [in Yerevan].
[Video shows Ryabov speaking to journalists in Russian] The balance of forces remains the same as before. We have very close economic and political ties with Azerbaijan, and we also have close ties in the military sphere. We intend to develop and expand them for the sake of the security of our two states and the entire Caucasus. Russia's involvement in anybody's military actions against Azerbaijan is out of the question. We are working for peace, security and the intensification of our ties. Nobody considers, even hypothetically, a situation where Russian armed forces could be involved against the fraternal Azerbaijani state. This is out of the question, simply out of the question.
If Azerbaijan liberates its lands? You are asking a question which is outside the context of current political realities. Both the Azerbaijani leadership and the international community in the person of the cochairmen of the [OSCE] Minsk Group are talking exclusively about peaceful ways to settle the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and liberate the captured territories. A military option is out of the question.
Source: Space TV, Baku, in Azeri 1200 gmt 25 May 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Russia driving Azerbaijan, Armenia into "bloody war", Azeri paper says
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 25, 2001
Eternal existence of the Karabakh problem is the Kremlin's desire
Today, no-one believes any more that the planned Geneva meeting on a Nagornyy Karabakh settlement will take place. There are even people who say that it will be a miracle if this meeting is held. The optimism created by the Key West meeting [April 2001] that the parties to the conflict would sign a peace accord this year has burst like a bubble, and been replaced by pessimism.
[Passage omitted: statements by OSCE Minsk Group mediators during their recent visit to the region]
It can be assumed that the Kremlin's latest steps are an attempt to force Azerbaijan to take it into consideration directly, rather than the USA or the West. The fact that Armenia has been elected chairman of the [CIS] Collective Security Treaty gives us grounds to think so. That is to say, by investing in Yerevan even the right to express the will of countries which will back Armenia in combat operations, the Kremlin is intimidating Azerbaijan and at the same time, attempting to force the Baku government to move away from the USA and the West and towards Russia as a last resort.
Of course, everyone realizes Russia's pivotal role in instigating the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan and in stirring it up at any time it wants. Given Russia's capacity to exert a strong influence on public and political processes inside Armenia, any solution to the conflict which does not reflect the Kremlin's will does not seem realistic. Observations show that the Kremlin is not interested in settling the conflict at all. The eternal existence of this problem is more favourable for Russia because as long as the problem exists, it will be impossible to completely oust Russia from the South Caucasus. That is to say, as long as the conflict lasts, Russia will also exist as a pivotal factor in the region. This means that it is unrealistic for the USA and the West to enter the region and consolidate their positions until Russia withdraws.
Everything has been vice versa recently. The Kremlin took revenge for its failure in Key West by driving the USA and the West away from the conflict settlement. Russia, which is now struggling with Iran for the region, makes no secret of its intentions to completely remove the Caucasus states from US control and make them dependent on it.
The idea of the "Caucasus Four" was obviously designed as a mechanism to implement these plans. Because there seems no way that they can be implemented amicably if Russia's powerful pressure does not yield results. At least relations between the four countries do not allow for this.
[Passage omitted: about relations between Russia and Georgia, Armenia and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and Russia and Azerbaijan]
In our opinion, everything will depend on Azerbaijan's position. If [Azerbaijani] President Heydar Aliyev insists on his position that it is unacceptable for conflicting sides to be in a single structure, it will be difficult for Russia to implement the idea of the "Caucasus Four".
However, recent events have shown that Azerbaijan and Armenia are very close to a state of war. The Kremlin is playing a decisive role in this situation. That is, Russia is openly hampering the peace talks and driving the conflicting sides into a bloody war.
Source: Sarq, Baku, in Azeri 25 May 01 p 6
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
BAKU SURPRISED WITH KYRGYZSTANS PLANS TO CONCLUDE MILITARY AGREEMENT WITH ARMENIA
Source:Turan News Agency
24.05.01--BAKU-- Bishkek is ready for conclusion of an
intergovernmental agreement on military and technical cooperation with
Yerevan. This was announced by Kurmanbek Tynaliyev, the Chief of General
Staff of Kyrgyzstans Armed Forces, while before national parliament. Mr
Tynaliyev noted that there is a principal agreement of both sides on this
matter but the concrete terms of conclusion of the agreement have yet to
be determined. The top Kyrgyz military official said the future agreement
will envision mutual deliveries of military equipment and ammunition,
training specialists, innovation and modernization of weapons. In
1999-2000, Kyrgyzstan received from Armenia foodstuffs, uniforms, as well
as sniper rifles CVD within the framework of the CIS Collective Security
Agreement. at the same time, Yerevan bought a large batch of bullets from
the Bishkek machine-building plant. The chief of Kyrgyzstans General Staff
also said his country could in future offer Armenia a joint project on
modernization of armored troop-carriers. Its noteworthy that the draft
agreement on military and technical cooperation with Armenia caused the
negative reaction of a number of members of the Kyrgyz Parliament. Thus,
MP Adakham Madumarov said a conclusion of the Foreign Ministry was needed
for this purpose. Besides, he added that any agreement of this kind will
adversely affect the nations foreign policy and its relations with
Azerbaijan and Turkey. Announced the press service of the Defense Ministry
of Azerbaijan: Bishkeks plans to conclude a military agreement with
Armenia, which supports terrorism and separatism on the state level, cause
bewilderment and regret. Its noteworthy that such plans come from a Turkic
state, which itself suffers from international terrorism. The same source
noted that Bishkek had earlier delivered a batch of bullets to Armenia,
thus violating the demands of international organizations on
inadmissibility of deliveries of weapons to conflicting parties.
By Staff Writers
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SAYS AZERI LANDS OCCUPIED
Source:ANS
25.05.01--BAKU--The possibility of Russias rendering military assistance
to Armenia within the framework of the CIS Collective Security Agreement
in case of renewal of hostilities is excluded. This was announced by
Russias Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan,
Nikolai Ryabov. Said the Russian envoy: All these are fantasies of
intriguers. Its out of question that Russia engage in any countrys
military operations against Azerbaijan. We are working for peace, security
and beefing up bilateral relations. According to Mr Ryabov, any military
developments in Karabakh are out of question. The OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs are currently working exceptionally on peaceful ways of
resolution of the conflict and liberation of occupied lands. The Russian
diplomat said also that a tripartite meeting Aliyev-Putin-Kocharian is
planned to be held within the framework of the CIS summit due to be held
in Minsk in June. Mr Ryabov also said bilateral talks between Azeri and
Russian leaders are planned as well. The ambassador refuted the
information that Azeri president will visit Russia before the Geneva
talks.
By Shahin Kazimzadeh
RUSSIA WILL SOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT IF RUSSIAN BASES ARE BACK IN
AZERBAIJAN, SAYS EX-STATE ADVISOR
Source:Turan News Agency
26.05.01--BAKU--Azerbaijans ex-state advisor on foreign policy issues Vafa
Guluzadeh said while commenting on the forthcoming meeting in Ljubljana
(Slovenia) between Russian and U.S. presidents that it will definitely
discuss the ways of adjustment of the Karabakh conflict. But Mr Guluzadeh
added that the talks will be tough and could end in vain. According to the
politologist, Moscow links the Karabakh adjustment with Bakus consent to
return Russian military bases to the soil of Azerbaijan and restoration of
bilateral military relations. This is what the Secretary of Russias
Security Council, Vladimir Rushailo, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister
Vyacheslav Trubnikov and even Russias co-chair in the OSCE Minsk Group,
Nikolai Gribkov talked about during their recent visit to Baku. Commenting
on those statements, Mr Guluzadeh noted that Bakus consent with those
conditions would be equal to loss of independence and sovereignty.
Azerbaijan will never agree to that, the ex-state advisor said. Added he:
I dont think Putin will toughly put the question in Ljubljana that the
Caucasus is the zone of Russian interests and that Azerbaijan is ready to
become nearer with Moscow. If George W Bush yields to this pressure, this
will lead to weakening the Wests positions and will question realization
of many global energy projects in the region, which means it will hit a
heavy blow on Azerbaijans sovereignty.
By Staff Writers
MAMEDOV SAYS ARMENIANS SHOULD GIVE UP MYTHS
Source:ANS
25.05.01--BAKU--The head of the Presidential Administrations (PA) foreign
relations department, Novruz Mamedov held a news conference. The state
official touched upon the course of Karabakh-related talks. Mr Mamedov
expressed his attitude to the possibility of signing a peace agreement
between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the Geneva meeting. No one can say in
concrete what agreement will be signed, the PA official said. The state
official also refuted the information that Azerbaijan will make
considerable land concessions to Armenia. Mr Mamedov said Azerbaijan wont
make any concessions which come against its national interests. The
high-ranked diplomat said also that Armenia is still clinging to its
non-constructive stance. According to him, Armenians themselves have
fallen prey to the myths they have invented for centuries. As an example,
Mr Mamedov cited the so-called Armenian genocide, dreams of Great Armenia
and the neighboring nations territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Mr Mamedov
reminded that even the then-Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian
recommended his countrymen to give up all those myths back in 1997. Mr
Mamedov also said the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are hardly working over
adjustment of the long-running conflict.
By Rashad Nasirov
ISSUE OF AZERI HOSTAGES AND POWs HELD IN ARMENIA DISCUSSED BY BUREAU OF
COUNCIL OF EUROPES PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Source:Turan News Agency
25.05.01--BAKU--Sessions of permanent and political committees, as well as
the bureau of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) were
held in Istanbul on May 22 and 23. Azeri MPs Samed Seyidov and Asim
Mollazadeh participated in the work of the political committee. Mr Seyidov
told reporters that the session of PACE bureau discussed the issue on
Azeri hostages and prisoners of war (POWs) in Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. To give impetus to further development of the topic, it was
decided to send the issue on Azeri POWs to PACE monitoring committee.
According to Mr Seyidov, the issue on hostages and POWs will be included
in the list of common issues which are subject to monitoring realized by
the Council of Europe as a control of compliance with commitments assumed
by Armenia and Azerbaijan in exchange for Council of Europe membership. We
would remind you that the Azeri group of delegates initiated at the recent
session of PACE the document risoners of War and ostages eld in Armenia
and Nagorno Karabakh. The document was signed by 20 delegates from 17
countries. The document had to be sent to PACE Secretariat. If the issue
is endorsed and approved, a reporter will be appointed on the topic and
the June session of PACE was planned to decide recommend it or not for
further submission to the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe.
After the document was sent to PACE, the head of Mission of the
International Committee of the Red Cross to Azerbaijan, Fridrun Meder
refuted all the data reflected in the document with the reference to this
international organization. Herewith, Mrs Meder said the organization will
send an appropriate appeal to the Council of Europe. Commenting on this
situation, Mr Seyidov didnt deny of shortages being in the document. But
the Azeri MP added they dont influence the value of the document.
By Staff Writers
ANS News Digest, May 25, 2001
Azeri paper suspicious of Iran's interest in Karabakh talks
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 25, 2001
Former Iranian envoy believes Karabakh negotiations are held in this direction
As is known, Iran has been informed about the course of the negotiations on the Karabakh settlement. No-one understands why Iran, whose relations with Azerbaijan leave much to be desired, has been honoured like this. It is also unclear how Tehran is going to use this information from the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen.
Yesterday it became known that the southern neighbour was not going to remain silent on Karabakh. But Iranian diplomats have started working in a rather strange way.
A press release issued yesterday by the Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan included a statement by Alirza Bigdeli - former Iranian envoy to Baku and current head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's department for relations with the CIS Muslim countries. In an interview with the Sahar TV (Iranian channel broadcasting in Azeri), Bigdeli expressed his concern about the settling of the Karabakh problem: "I believe that at the moment a gradual division of the Azerbaijani Republic is under way." The diplomat also said: "It is clear that the Islamic Republic of Iran will be against such a development of events. Of course, Azerbaijani officials and the country's president are trying to negotiate in the interests of the Azerbaijani Republic."
The report did not say what was meant by the division of Azerbaijan and who was trying to do this. It is interesting that the statement was circulated by the official representative office of Iran in Azerbaijan. That is to say, this is an official document with all the consequences that might ensue. Moreover, the authorities of our countries are keeping all information about the peace talks from the people.
What can an Azeri think about this information when he himself is in a state of blockade by official Baku?
The first reaction will of course be surprise that the Azerbaijani authorities are holding negotiations in this direction. Even though a deadlock in the negotiating process has already been fated, the fact itself that this could have been discussed cannot be taken positively, especially as everyone in Baku knows that Iran has been informed about the negotiations.
[passage omitted: similar ideas]